'George Courtauld is an inveterate sightseer and his account of travels, totalling over a quarter of a million miles a year, is lively and hilarious...It's a thumping good read.' Sunday Telegraph 'Compellingly readable. Beyond the variety and nature of the author's adventures, it is the quality of Courtauld's writing which beguiles. Almost every page has some passage that makes one want to laugh aloud. Witty and entertaining.' Times Literary Supplement 'How to describe George Courtauld's sequel to The Travels of a Fat Bulldog? Readers of his first volume will need no explanations. The latest is more of the same--yet nothing like it, if you catch my drift. For those who have not yet experienced the pleasures and surprises of life with a Queen's Messenger, make yourself comfortable, you are guaranteed to enjoy the ride. This eclectic portfolio of essays describes some of Courtauld's many and varied travels delivering diplomatic bags as a trusted member of the 16-strong Queen's Messenger Corps (which celebrates its 800th birthday in 1999). Yet to think of this entertaining and enlightening volume as a travel book is missing the mark--wildly. Courtauld's eternally inquisitive mind looks beyond the veneer of everyday life, whether on an African train ride from hell, spending a night in a dungeon on the Great Wall of China, or observing street life from the window of a New York diner. Farmer, ex-businessman, and Queen's Messenger for the past 13 years, Courtauld is one of life's collectors--everything, that is, from rare plants and eccentric characters to impossible journeys and unusual exhibits. And in- between his lyrical accounts of life "on the road" he lets slip precious snippets of another life--one of odd relatives, useful lists, outrageous political views, and life on his Essex farm, unencumbered by luggage.' - Carey Green, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW
